All I Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten
by inanawfulmess
Summary: It's Beth Fabray's first day of kindergarten.  The next part of my Fireworks series.


**Author's Note: This is the next installment in my _Fireworks_ series. Spoilers are through Season 1, but there's nothing super specific. I don't own anything, and all mistakes are mine. I look forward to hearing what you think!**

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"I'm ready!" five-year-old Beth Fabray cried as she ran down the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of the kitchen table. "Well, almost. Mommy, can you braid my hair?"

"Sure, sweetie," Quinn smiled, putting down her coffee cup and scooping Beth up to place her on the kitchen island. She laughed quietly as she separated her daughter's blond hair into smaller sections to braid. "Did Mama help you pick out your outfit today?"

"I did it all by myself!"

"Well, you look beautiful, baby," Quinn said, pressing a kiss to the top of Beth's head. Her daughter's outfit – a jean skirt with white tights, black Mary Jane shoes, and a white collared shirt under a pink sweater with a large gold star emblazoned on the front – was so completely _Rachel_ that Quinn was tempted to call the Misters Berry and ask them to send her copies of Rachel's kindergarten pictures to confirm that, despite the absence of a biological connection, Beth wasn't Rachel's exact clone. "I can't believe my little girl is all grown up."

"I'm only going to kindergarten, Mommy," Beth huffed. "I'm not grown up yet! When I grow up I'm gonna be on Broadway."

"I know you are baby, you're the best singer I know!"

Beth turned her head and looked at her mother, horrified. "Better than Mama?"

"You know what?" Quinn asked after pretending to contemplate her answer for a moment. "I think it's a tie! You and Mama are the two best singers ever."

"But what about Barbra Streisand?" Beth asked, sticking her lower lip out in a pout.

"Yeah," Rachel echoed, rounding the corner into the kitchen and kissing first Quinn and then Beth good morning. "As much as I appreciate the compliment, what about Barbra Streisand?"

Quinn rolled her eyes as she finished Beth's braid, choosing to ignore the question and change the subject. "Bethy, what do you want for breakfast, baby?" she asked.

"Whole wheat toast with a banana, please," Beth answered as she jumped off the counter and into Rachel's waiting arms.

"Really, honey? You don't want something special for your first day of kindergarten? I can make you chocolate chip pancakes or scrambled eggs and French toast."

"No thank you, Mommy. You know that a healthy and balanced breakfast is the best way to start the day. And I have to have good food in my body if I am going to be successful at school. And I have to be successful everyday because you never know when the talent scouts will be watching. Right, Mama?"

"You've got it, peanut," Rachel laughed, avoiding Quinn's glare by nuzzling her nose into Beth's cheek and adjusting the girl on her hip. "Are you excited for your big day?"

Beth nodded excitedly. "I'm going to make a lot of new friends and when you and Mommy come to pick me up you can talk to the other parents and organize play dates to fill up my social calendar."

Quinn glanced at Rachel as she sliced a banana onto Beth's plate and mouthed, "social calendar?" Rachel shrugged in response, but couldn't help a grin from appearing on her face.

"Sounds like a plan," Rachel responded, setting Beth down. "Go wash up real quick before breakfast, okay, sweetie?"

"Okay Mama!" Beth called as she scurried out of the room. "After breakfast we can pack my backpack, okay?"

"Okay!" Rachel called back before crossing the kitchen to the other side of the island where Quinn had just popped Beth's toast down in the toaster. She stood behind the blond and wrapped her arms around her, standing on her tiptoes to rest her chin on Quinn's shoulder. "Are you okay this morning baby?" Rachel whispered, turning her head to press a kiss to Quinn's neck. "You've been awfully quiet."

Quinn turned around and leaned into Rachel, wrapping her arms around her in a hug. "I'm okay," she said after a moment. "I am. It's just, I don't know, I guess I'm not ready for this."

"She'll be fine, honey, she's excited to go and she's going to do great, you know that. We've taught her well, babe."

"No, no, I know we have, she's going to be fantastic. She's just like you, of course she'll be great. I really don't know what my problem is, she's just so little, you know? I'm not ready to imagine her growing up and going out into the world on her own."

"I know, Quinn," Rachel whispered, holding her tighter. "I know you're worried. But I promise everything will be okay. It's just kindergarten."

"I'm ready for breakfast!" Beth interrupted upon reentering the kitchen. She looked up at her parents still embracing each other. "Mommy, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Quinn pulled away from Rachel to bend down and lift Beth up, before Rachel wrapped one arm around each of her girls to complete the group hug. "Nothing's wrong, baby, I'm just going to miss you today while you're at school."

"I'll miss you too, Mommy," Beth said. "But I'll be home this afternoon." She looked at Rachel and shrugged. "Can I have my toast now?"

"Of course, sweetie," Quinn answered before pressing a kiss to Beth's forehead and lowering her to the ground. "There's a plate with a banana on the island and you can grab your toast out of the toaster. You eat while I go find the camera so we can send pictures to Grampy and Papa."

"Okay, thanks Mommy." Beth grabbed the toast and put it on her plate before walking over to the kitchen table and sitting on her knees in the chair.

Rachel poured herself a cup of coffee and went to sit next to her daughter at the table. "Alright, peanut," she said, "how about we double check everything in your backpack is ready to go while you eat so you don't miss the bus. Sound good?"

Beth nodded and reached around to the back of her chair to grab her new pink backpack before handing it to her mother. "I'm supposed to have a notebook and crayons and pencils."

"Well, let's see then," Rachel said, pulling the items out of the backpack and into a pile on the kitchen table before placing them back in the backpack one by one. "We have one sparkly pink notebook, a brand new box of 24 Crayola crayons, and five freshly sharpened number two pencils." Beth giggled at Rachel's mimicry of an announcer on a game show before taking the last bite of her toast and picking up her fork to start in on her banana slices. "But it's your lucky day because you've got so much other stuff too! Like a glue stick that goes on purple but dries clear. And a box of tissues to share with your friends during cold season, plus some hand sanitizer for your desk because– "

"Personal hygiene is always very important," Beth interrupted, smiling.

"A girl after my own heart!" Rachel exclaimed, trying to fit the tissues into the backpack before opening a second zipper and dramatically taking a look inside. "And in the front pocket, it looks like we have sneakers for outside playtime, and a lovely and nutritious lunch made especially for Beth by her adoring Mommy." She sneaked a peak into the purple lunch pail. "Ooh, you lucked out, sweetie. Mommy made her famous peanut butter and jelly for you today! Plus you get an apple, and water, and what looks like a chocolate chip cookie. Yummy!" Rachel zipped the backpack back up and looked up as Quinn came rushing back into the kitchen.

"Okay, I found the camera. Do you want to take pictures on the front porch?"

"Okay Mommy," Beth said as she picked up her plate off the table and stood on her tiptoes to put it in the sink. "Thanks for checking my backpack, Mama."

"No problem, peanut," Rachel said as she held the backpack out for Beth to slip her arms into. "I just know you're going to have a great day. Do you remember what I told you last night?"

Beth nodded as she adjusted the backpack straps on her shoulders and walked down the hall to the front door. "If anybody gives me any trouble I'll tell them that I have connections at the ACLU!"

"Well, I meant when I told you to be yourself and everybody would love you, but that too, Bethy." Rachel grinned sheepishly at Quinn, who simply rolled her eyes and followed the other two down the hall and out to the porch.

"Okay, baby," Quinn said, hopping down the front steps and pointing her camera back up to the porch. "Why don't you stand there on the steps and smile for me, okay?" Beth got into position and put on a huge grin, showing the gap between her bottom front teeth where her first tooth had fallen out a week ago. "You're beautiful, Bethy," Quinn called as she snapped pictures, sniffling. "I can't believe my baby is starting school."

Rachel stepped up behind her and rubbed a hand gently over her back, trying to keep her from getting worked up in front of their daughter. When the picture-taking session was done, Rachel stepped forward and scooped Beth up and swung her around before placing her down on the grass, kneeling next to her, and gathering her in her arms. "Give me a hug, peanut. I think I hear the bus coming, so let's get ready to go."

Beth threw her arms around Rachel, hugging her neck tightly. "Mama?" she whispered, burying her head against Rachel's neck as the bus rounded the corner and came into sight.

"What, baby?"

"I'm a little scared."

Rachel hugged Beth tighter against her and burst into tears. "It's okay to be scared, baby," she sobbed, stroking one hand down Beth's back. "But you're going to do great, I promise. We'll see you in just a few hours, sweetie, you'll be fine."

Quinn, who had stood to the side observing the interaction between Rachel and their daughter, decided to step in as the bus was pulling up to their driveway.

"Alright, the bus is here," she said, steering Beth out of Rachel's grasp and down the driveway.

"Do I have to go?" Beth whined, dragging her heels.

"Does she?" Rachel choked out between her tears. "She's a young five, she can start next year!"

"Okay, listen to me," Quinn said, leaning down and turning Beth's head away from Rachel and wiping the tears from her cheeks with her thumbs. "You're going to have a great time at school. Mama and I will be there to pick you up at 3:00, okay baby? And we're going to have veggie burgers for dinner tonight when you get home. They're your favorite, right?"

Beth nodded and wiped her nose on her sleeve before leaning in for one last hug. "Bye Mommy," she said, pulling back and heading toward the waiting bus. "Bye Mama."

"I'll see you soon, sweetie," Rachel cried from the lawn.

Quinn walked behind Beth and helped her up onto the first step of the bus. "Bye Bethy! Love you!"

"Love you too, Mommy," Beth gave a small smile as she turned and got onto the bus. The bus driver gave Quinn a wave as she stepped back from the bus and watched as Beth found a seat next to the window. Quinn stayed at the end of the driveway as the bus pulled away from the curb and continued down the street, waving until the bus was out of sight to be sure Beth didn't see her walk back toward the house.

Hearing Rachel's sob caught her attention, however, and Quinn finally turned around and walked toward where she was still sitting on the lawn. Quinn sat down beside Rachel and gently rubbed circles on her back as her sobbing slowed and then stopped. "You okay, babe?"

Rachel took a shuddering breath before curling into Quinn and laying her head along her breastbone. She relaxed further into Quinn's touch as Quinn reached her hand up to smooth Rachel's hair back on her head. "How are _you_ okay?" Rachel asked quietly. "All morning you were the one who was falling apart and I was totally fine. And now I'm making a spectacle of myself in front of the neighbors while you smile and wave her on to the bus."

"Oh, Rachel," Quinn laughed softly. "That's where you're wrong. I was the one who was okay all morning and you were the one who was falling apart."

Rachel lifted her head up and looked at Quinn, alarmed. Her eyes were red and her whole face a little puffy, and Quinn couldn't help leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But, but you were…and I was…"

"Sweetie," Quinn interrupted, "you're not the only actress in this family. I'm fine, I've been fine all morning. She'll be home in like, seven hours, babe, it's not that big a deal."

"I don't understand. Why would you act like that? I thought all of your crying was going to make Beth more upset and scared. I worked extra hard to stay positive and keep her spirits up."

"I know, silly," Quinn smiled. "It was all a part of my plan. If I pretended to fall apart a little, you'd hold it together for Beth and not fall apart a lot." Quinn's smile grew into a grin. "It was _mostly_ successful."

Rachel smiled too and adjusted her body so she was laying flat on her back in the lawn with her head in Quinn's lap. "I'm sorry I freaked. I know it made it harder for Beth, I just…it's…I'm not…."

"Sweetie, it's okay," Quinn said, stroking Rachel's hair in her lap and then tracing the features of her face. "I know how you feel, honey, I understand. Beth's a special little girl and it's scary that she's growing up, but like you said this morning, babe, she's ready. We've done our job and prepared her well. And we're not losing her, she's still going to be our little girl for a very, very long time."

Rachel closed her eyes and sighed contentedly as Quinn continued to run her hands through her hair. "She just looked so grown up today, Quinn. It seems like just yesterday that you brought her home from the hospital and we had to watch Youtube videos on the internet to figure out how to fasten those silly diapers. She grew up so fast, it doesn't seem possible that she's starting kindergarten already." Quinn nodded but didn't speak, realizing that Rachel needed a chance to talk out her feelings. "But at the same time, she's still so little. She really is a young five, and she's tiny, Quinn. What if the other kids pick on her or beat her up or say mean things?"

"Rach, calm down," Quinn said gently. "She's going to be fine. I know she's just like you, sweetie, but that doesn't mean the other kids are going to treat her like they treated you. This is a different time, a different place. They're going to be much more understanding. And even if they're not, babe, she's got all of your good qualities that will help her through it." Quinn leaned down and kissed Rachel's forehead, then the tip of her nose, and then finally her lips. "You are a fantastic mom, Rachel, and because of that, Beth's going to be fine. Okay?"

Rachel nodded and stood up from the lawn, brushing the grass from her skirt and letting out a long sigh. "Okay."

"Okay!" Quinn stood and slung an arm around Rachel's back before pressing a kiss to her cheek. "So, we don't have to be at Bethy's school for another six and a half hours and we both cleared our schedules for the whole day. What do you say I take you out to breakfast, and then we'll head back here for some alone time?" Quinn wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and pulled Rachel tighter against her.

Rachel grinned and stood on her toes to reach Quinn's ear. She kissed it lightly, then whispered, "Tell you what. Make it waffles and we can try that new thing you've been talking about."

"Yeah?" Quinn asked, eyes widening.

Rachel smirked, then blushed. "Yeah."


End file.
